


They're not for me

by BooksandKpop



Series: Soft Fics 9: Every SF9 Pairing (OT2) [31]
Category: SF9 (Band)
Genre: Florist AU, Flower Language, Fluff, M/M, flower boy taeyang, handsome angel jaeyoon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-10 09:55:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17423699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BooksandKpop/pseuds/BooksandKpop
Summary: Stop staring at the customers, it's creepy - Kim Hwiyoung, 2k19





	They're not for me

"What happened to 'there's no one on this earth prettier than my flowers'?"

"Shut up Hwi, you know I was only messing."

"Sure you were Tae-hyung."

"I was! What do you want from me anyway? Aren't you supposed to be cutting carnations with Inseong-hyung in the back?"

"We're taking a break so he can sharpen the scissors. But seriously, stop staring at the customers, it's creepy."

 

With that the younger boy bounced out from behind the register and on to the floor, making himself look busy. Taeyang rolled his eyes but put on his best customer service face to ring up a bouquet of roses for a lovestruck teenage boy and then a potted cactus for a girl with rather bright blonde hair. It had been a good day, leading up to Valentine's things always started to pick up with people buying pretty flowers for their loved ones or crushes. 

There was one customer in particular that had caught Taeyang's eye though. He had been in every day this week, always looking but yet to buy anything. Taeyang swore he must have looked at every flower in the shop at this point. At first, he had just seemed like another regular person, calling in to browse the brightly coloured pots and hanging baskets. But the third time the little chimes rang above his head as he entered Taeyang began to take more notice. 

It was beyond cliche, but Taeyang found himself comparing the stranger's features to the natural beauty of his flowers. There was something about the way the abundance of natural light in the store bent around him and lit up his features in the most breathtaking way. The array of colours in the flower displays reflected on his golden skin and gave him an unearthly glow. Taeyang had yet to hear him speak or even see him up close, but already he knew it would just be an amplification of his beauty.

Hwiyoung called him lovestruck, Taeyang just called himself an appreciator of a handsome face. There was also a mysterious air around the man; why had he never bought anything yet? If it was something specific he was looking for, surely he would have approached one of the staff to ask for their assistance, or if the shop didn't have what he wanted then why did he keep returning? It was confusing, but Taeyang didn't mind if it meant he got to see his face light up the store each day.

 

"Taeyang, can you send Hwiyoung back here please? We still have another three dozen carnations to cut for tomorrows orders alone."

"Sure thing Inseong-hyung!"

 

Working with flowers was something Taeyang had always wanted to do ever since he was little. Finding a florist that was close enough to his university that was looking for part-time staff was a miracle, but having such a wonderful man as his boss was the blessing on top. He took the small spray bottle from Hwiyoung and sent the younger back to were bunches of pink and red flowers were waiting to be arranged into romantic gifts. There were only two customers in the shop at the moment; an old man browsing the selection of tulips and the angelic repeat visitor. Taeyang felt it was quiet enough that he could continue Hwiyoung's work and went around giving the flowers a light misting. 

It was one of his favourite jobs in the store, second only to making arrangements for the front window. There was just something so soothing about gently nursing all the individual plants and looking on in pride at the vibrant coloured petals and sparkling leaves. So lost in his tender care for the flowers, he didn't notice someone approaching him. It was only when a hand gently tapped his shoulder that he was shaken back into the present.

 

"Excuse me? I was wondering if you could help me with something?"

 

His voice was sweet and soothing, like wrapping yourself up in a fluffy blanket with hot chocolate on a rainy day. Underneath the fairy lights strung along the ceiling his eyes sparkled like a million stars were trapped inside them, and Taeyang could do nothing but nod mutely. An angelic smile was his reward and he tried to remind himself that this man, no matter how beautiful, was just another customer who needed his assistance. So he picked up his jaw from where it had dropped and put on his confident sales persona.

 

"What is it you need help with? I'll do my best to assist you."

"Thank you, Taeyang-ssi. I was hoping to get a bouquet for a special occasion, but I'm not sure what kind of flowers are suitable."

"Oh, of course. Come up with me to the till and we can talk about the kind of things you would like to say with your flowers."

 

Taeyang turned and quickly walked towards the desk, trying to calm his heart down from its hummingbird pace after hearing how his name sounded in the handsome man's mouth. The older gentleman was also making his way to the till with three red tulips in hand. Quickly ringing him up and wishing him a nice day, Taeyang then turned his full attention to the only other person left in the store. He was already watching Taeyang as he worked, and it made him flush pink at the attention. 

 

"So, what kind of occasion are the flowers for?"

"A proposal."

 

He was thankful for the soft music playing in the store because it covered the small gasp he let out and the sound of his heart breaking. It made sense, someone as handsome as this man would, of course, have a loving partner that he was overjoyed to marry. That would also explain why he had been in every day, wanting to make sure the flowers he chose were absolutely perfect. But Taeyang was a professional, so he smiled widely and asked the angel to describe what he would like the bouquet to say.

With every word out of the customer's mouth Taeyang's heart shattered more and more. The pure love and joy that lit up his face as he described who the flowers were for was nothing short of breathtaking. His eyes glowed and the tone of his voice alone was enough to tell how much his partner meant to him, never mind the words spilling out of them. It had been foolish for Taeyang to allow himself to harbour a crush on this beautiful man in the first place, but when he looked so beautiful it was hard not to. When he was finally finished speaking, Taeyang smiled as brightly as he could.

 

"They sound like a very wonderful person."

"He is, and that's why I want to make sure the bouquet is perfect."

"Well, I have something in mind that is exactly what you need."

 

A collection of red carnations, roses and tulips to show the pure and deep love the customer had described, along with some white hyacinths and hydrangeas for the playful joy and emotion their relationship seemed to share. One single bird of paradise in the centre to show excitement and anticipation for what was to come. It was a beautiful assortment if Taeyang did say so himself, and the customer seemed to agree. 

 

"We are pretty busy at the moment, if you need it for today it will be extra, otherwise we can have it ready this time tomorrow."

"Tomorrow is fine, thank you so much for your assistance Taeyang-ssi."

"Of course, I'm happy to help."

 

That was true to a point. Taeyang loved his job and being able to use his knowledge of flowers to put together the perfect bouquet was something he took great pride in, but it was a little painful knowing this beautiful man was about to marry someone else. After confirming the deposit for the flowers and arranging a time for him to collect them the following day, there was no reason for him to hang around any longer.

 

"Thank you again Taeyang-ssi. Will you be here tomorrow when I collect them?"

"Yes, I'm working tomorrow as well. I'll see you then."

"Jaeyoon."

"What?"

"My name, it's Jaeyoon."

"Oh, right. Well then, I'll see you tomorrow when you come to collect your flowers Jaeyoon-ssi. Have a nice day."

 

Jaeyoon smiled and bowed on his way out, and only when the door had shut behind him did Taeyang let himself collapse onto the register. Maybe it was a good thing Jaeyoon was getting engaged to someone else, Taeyang didn't think his heart would hold out if he was lucky enough to see him smile like that every day. The rest of his shift was rather uneventful, mostly just people calling in to buy a dozen roses or collecting orders they had already paid for.

Usually making custom bouquets was Inseong's job, but he was so busy preparing for Valentine's orders Taeyang didn't want to pile more work on him. He decided to make the most of the quiet period and gathered all the flowers he would need for Jaeyoon's proposal. The red carnations were all in the back storeroom when Inseong and Hwiyoung were currently cutting them for orders, but he would grab a few of them to add once they were officially closed for the day. All the other blooms he needed were in the front of the shop and in between serving the few customers that wandered in, Taeyang had Jaeyoon's bouquet coming along nicely.

Inseong closed up the shop a few minutes early. It had started raining pretty heavily and he figured no one was going to come this late to buy flowers when they opened again at nine in the morning. Taeyang put away some of the more valuable flowers into the back while Hwiyoung swept the floor and wiped down the register. It was Inseong's job to count the money at the end of each day, and they all worked in compatible silence. Soon enough everything was done for the evening, and Taeyang gathered up the bouquet he had been working on and carried it to the storeroom where the carnations were. 

 

"That's very pretty Tae, is it a custom order?"

"Yeah, a customer came in and asked us to make a proposal bouquet for him. I knew you were busy with cuttings so I said I would start it myself."

"Well it looks great, you have a great eye for aesthetics."

"Thanks hyung."

 

If there was one thing that never failed to make him smile, it was getting a compliment on his work. Especially when it came from Inseong, someone who had managed to quite literally grow a successful small business from almost nothing in the middle of the city. He left the red and white flowers on a work table and then the three of them clocked out together. Inseong insisted on driving both of them back to their dorms, not wanting them getting soaked in the rain. After wishing the two a goodnight, Taeyang sprinted into his own building. He spent the night tossing and turning, sleep eluding him as all he could think about was Jaeyoon's handsome features and soothing voice as he spoke so enthusiastically about love.

His classes dragged on the next day, and the weather was still wet and miserable. Much like his mood Taeyang mused as he took the bus to the store in the afternoon. When he arrived there were a handful of people inside, browsing the displays of roses and carnations that Inseong had obviously put up at some stage this morning. Taeyang happily admitted they looked wonderful, giving a real lovey-dovey air to the shop. Chani was working today instead of Hwiyoung, and he gratefully allowed the elder to take over the till to look after the customers while he went into the back to fetch more roses. Apparently, they were selling much faster than expected. Valentine's was tomorrow though, so the rush was understandable.

Taeyang barely got a moment to himself with a constant stream of in-love customers buying flowers. Some single blooms, others massive bouquets - but all of them were beautiful. It finally quieted down in the late afternoon, the stormy weather deterring more people from making the treck. He was just retying some of the red ribbons on the display cases that had fallen loose when the door chimed again. Turning to greet the new customer, his breath was stolen for what was now the eighth day in a row.

Jaeyoon was standing in the doorframe, golden lights overhead making it look like his skin was made of honey and his hair was adorned with fireflies. In reality, he was just dripping wet thanks to the rain. That knowledge did nothing to subtract from how ethereal he looked as he walked into the store, droplets of water falling to the ground as he ran his fingers through the messy locks. Taeyang had to remind himself to breathe and put on his best customer service face, knowing just what Jaeyoon was here for.

 

"Hello Jaeyoon-ssi. Awful weather today isn't it?"

"Oh, I don't mind the rain so much. It's a part of nature's beauty."

 

Of course he would be so cheerful and bright that the rain wouldn't bother him. Taeyang simply nodded politely before returning to the register where Jaeyoon was standing. Inseong had finished off the bouquet this morning before they opened and it was sitting in one of the fridges waiting to be collected. It looked beautiful, the red and white of the various blossoms making the exotic yellow and blue of the bird of paradise in the centre stand out. It was wrapped in a beautiful gold and silver ribbon, perfect for proposals. Taeyang carefully removed it from the glass case and set it down on the bench for Jaeyoon to inspect.

 

"It's beautiful. Really Taeyang-ssi, you did a fantastic job."

"Thank you Jaeyoon-ssi. Inseong-hyung, the owner of the store, finished it off and wrapped it. Would you like to add a card with it? It's nothing extra."

"No thank you, there's a card sitting at home waiting to be written."

 

He had yet to take his eyes off the flowers, gently running the tips of his fingers against the soft petals. It was a truly incredible sight and Taeyang tried to commit it to memory. If he could paint, he was sure Jaeyoon and flowers would be his creative muse. For now though, there was one more thing he wanted to give the handsome customer. It was something that had plagued him all night and even as he worked today. The best way he could think of letting go of his unattainable crush was to wish him the best in his marriage.

 

"I have something else to give you Jaeyoon-ssi."

"Oh?"

 

Taeyang walked back to the fridge and pulled out a single pink peony in full bloom. He had tied a small white bow around the stem and when he handed it to Jaeyoon he was certain he imagined the blush on the customer's cheek. It was confusion, most likely since he wouldn't know the meaning behind the flower.

 

"It's a peony, a native Chinese flower. It symbolises beauty and is a traditional flower to give to wish someone a happy marriage."

"That's so sweet, thank you Taeyang-ssi. I have no doubt Youngbin-hyung will love it."

 

Youngbin, the name of the man Jaeyoon was going to propose to Taeyang supposed. The crushing feeling that should have been in his chest was absent. Giving Jaeyoon this flower was almost like giving him his blessing. Such a wonderful person deserved a beautiful wedding, and in a moment of braveness Taeyang spoke up again.

 

"From the way you described him yesterday, I have no doubt he'll say yes. So, when it comes time to look for a florist for your wedding maybe you'll consider coming back to us?"

 

Pushing a business card across the bench, Taeyang was caught off-guard by the openly confused look that crossed Jaeyoon's face at his words. Maybe it was a little forward of him to assume the wedding would be soon, or maybe it came across as too pushy offering their services when the proposal hadn't even been made yet. But that didn't seem right. Nevertheless, Taeyang smiled politely at Jaeyoon and rang up the total for the bouquet, minus the deposit he had left yesterday. The peony was on the house, as a good-luck present, he smiled.

Once the transaction had cleared, Taeyang swallowed hard. This was likely the last time he was going to see Jaeyoon unless he took up the offer and had them provide flowers for his wedding. But that would likely be Inseong's dealings. So he instead took a moment to just drink in the handsome man's features and preserve them. Jaeyoon was truly an aesthetic wonder to look at, and when he bid him goodbye Taeyang tried to ignore the shattering of his heart again.

The rest of his shift passed in a blur, red roses and carnations flying out of their displays and into peoples hands. The weather was still miserable when he caught the bus home again, and he wondered if the sun would shine for Valentine's day. 

He had no classes on Friday, which was good because Inseong needed all the help he could get in the store that morning. All the florists in the city were likely in a similar state, flowers unable to be kept on display. Taeyang, Hwiyoung and Chani were on their feet non-stop, wrapping bouquets and trying to convince the less sure customers to maybe go for something other than red roses to show their affection. 

Around lunchtime, the customers started to thin out which was a blessing because they were running very low on blooms. Inseong had been sure he had enough ordered, but it seemed like there were more people in love this year. Taeyang was just finishing his break when Inseong called him into the back. First making sure Hwiyoung wasn't too busy in the front of the shop, he followed his boss towards the storeroom. 

 

"We had a customer call and place an order for alstroemeria's, would you mind putting that together quickly? I have to finish this rose basket."

"No problem hyung."

 

It was an interesting flower to order on Valentine's Day; one that meant friendship and good fortune. Perhaps it was a sweet gesture for someone to show how much someone meant to them in a non-romantic way. It didn't take long to put it together, the flowers weren't exactly in high demand around this time. He tied it up with a pale pink ribbon and brought it out front to place it in the fridge while he was waiting for the customer to come and collect it. 

Hwiyoung gladly took a break once Taeyang took over the counter. The last of the people in the store were likely desperation shoppers, and they wouldn't be looking for anything more complex than a few red roses. The shop emptied for the first time all day around four pm and Taeyang breathed a sigh of relief. Chani was on the floor sprucing up the beautiful but neglected flowers that didn't have anyone even look their way today, while Inseong was already starting to calculate how much they made on roses alone. The quiet lulled him into a dreamy almost-slumber but he was shaken awake by the chimes over the door sounding.

Jaeyoon walked straight up to the counter, smile wide on his face as he greeted Taeyang cheerily. The florist felt his heart skip a beat as he watched the handsome man approach him. He really hadn't expected to see him again, especially not so soon. Maybe he was just here to tell them that his proposal went well, that would explain the beaming smile on his face. Taeyang put on his most welcoming smile and braced himself to be told the other's good news.

 

"Hello Jaeyoon-ssi. I'm surprised to see you back again so soon."

"Ah yes, well I actually had some flowers I wanted to pick up that I forgot about in my hurry yesterday."

"Oh, what kind of flowers can I get for you?"

"I ordered them over the phone, they're a friendship flower I believe?"

"The alstroemerias? They're for you?"

"Yes, that's them! I was honestly afraid to try to pronounce it in case I got it wrong."

 

He laughed and it was like angels had descended into their store. Even Chani looked up from where he was tending some potted geraniums that had been moved to make way for the Valentines display. It was like the customer had an aura that just drew people to him. Taeyang smiled politely and rang up the flowers on the till. Professional courtesy was vying with curiosity in his mind to ask what had happened with the bouquet, but in the end, his need to be nosy won out.

 

"I hope that the flowers you got from us yesterday were well received?"

"Oh! Yes they went down wonderfully. Youngbin was so pleased with it he almost kissed me!"

"I'm very happy to hear that, congratulations on your engagement."

 

There was something not quite sitting right in the way Jaeyoon looked at him with a confused look on his face. Taeyang did his best to ignore it and just completed the transaction with a smile. This was his job after all, it was important to not let personal feelings get in the way of that. 

 

"These flowers are a great choice to give to a valued friend, I'm sure whoever gets them will love them."

"Thank you Taeyang-ssi. Youngbin-hyung was so impressed with the quality of the bouquet I bought here that I decided I would get him some flowers of his own."

 

Now Taeyang was the one with a confused look on his face, and Jaeyoon seemed to notice it. From what he had gathered, Youngbin was Jaeyoon's fiancé, so if that was the case why was he buying him friendship flowers? As much as it killed him not knowing, he couldn't just ask. But fortunately, Jaeyoon seemed to want to tell.

 

"My long-time best friend Youngbin-hyung, he is planning on proposing to his boyfriend tonight. I had to make the romantic gesture arrangements because he couldn't get time off work to do it himself."

"So, then the flowers -"

"They're not for me. He was delighted when he saw them yesterday evening, and like I said he was so impressed that I wanted to get him some flowers too. That's why I asked for friendship flowers, so I can give them to him. I don't have anyone else to give flowers on Valentine's day."

 

There was a mischevious smile on his handsome face as he observed Taeyang's reaction. He struggled to keep himself together as the implication of his words hit him. Jaeyoon wasn't getting engaged, he wasn't even seeing anyone. The fact that such a beautiful person was single truly was a travesty. But Taeyang was careful not to get his hopes up again, after all, it was highly unlikely that he would be interested in a uni student who worked parttime as a florist. After a momentary awkward silence, they said their goodbyes and Jaeyoon left the shop with his friendship flowers in tow.

 

"Good going hyung, he was flirting with you and you didn't do anything about it."

"He was not flirting with me Chani."

"And Inseong-hyung isn't in love with the tattoo artist across the street."

 

Their boss let out an indignant screech from some corner of the store. When he wanted to he had superhuman hearing, and Chani just laughed and continued tending to the flowers. Taeyang was blushing furiously but refused to give in to the youngers teasing. There was no way that Jaeyoon had been flirting with him, it was just the suffocating aroma of roses and carnations that was messing with all of their brains. It made sense that all the romance in the air made them want to see everything in that light, but Taeyang was a level-headed person. 

Only a few more people came into the store after that, and once again they closed up early. Inseong was delighted with their takings for the day and promised each of them a bonus in their next paycheck. Chani cheered loudly and Taeyang laughed at the younger boys enthusiasm, knowing it was coming from his desire to get a new games console. They stayed in the store to put it back to the way it was before Valentine's. Inseong insisted they leave a small display of "romantic flowers" set up since sometimes people did wait until the next day to get them. Not that they had that many left for a bigger display.

The rain had eased off a little bit, but it was still pretty overcast. Taeyang thanked Inseong for his offer to give him a ride back but the bus was right there and he needed some time to think. Thoughts of Jaeyoon plagued his mind, running over their brief conversation and examining every millisecond. It wasn't a good idea, but when the man was that beautiful it was hard to keep him out of his mind. When he got back to his dorm his roommate was lying on their living room floor with a glass of wine and a half eaten box of chocolates. He just rolled his eyes and told him he was going to bed, not wanting to deal with drunken lovesick ramblings.

Taeyang was very glad he had a day off the next day. He loved his job a lot, but after such a busy working day it was nice to have a break, especially since he had university assignments to catch up on. Inseong was trialling a new staff member today too, and Taeyang was hopeful that they would get on well. It was hard for Inseong when his only three part-timers were all university students, which meant during exam season he often worked whole days by himself. 

He spent the day resting and getting some work done. His roommate made a brief appearance at lunchtime but looked very much worse for wear. Taeyang had been living with the guy for several months now and yet they barely knew one another, all he really knew was that they were the same age and the taller male was in the law department. They exchanged polite words whenever they were together, and while Taeyang didn't mind the distance it would be nice to be able to talk to someone from outside the flower shop about his dilemma. So he decided after lunch he had done enough work for a while and called up a familiar number.

 

_"Taeyang? This is a surprise! How have you been?"_

"I'm good Jinjin-hyung, how are you?"

_"Well much better now that I've heard from my favourite dance partner. To what do I owe this pleasure?"_

"I was wondering if you were around to meet for lunch today? I haven't seen you in so long."

_"That sounds like a wonderful plan! How about I meet you at that noodle place opposite the dance studio in an hour?"_

"Works for me. See you then hyung!"

 

After a tasty meal and a good heart-to-heart, Taeyang felt infinitely better. There was something about talking with Jinwoo that just calmed him and made everything seem clearer. It was alright to have a crush on Jaeyoon, it was natural to fall for his aesthetic beauty. The important thing was not letting it get too out of hand when he had only spoken to him twice. After promising that they would get together soon for a good dance session, Taeyang headed back to his dorm. He still had work he wanted to look at for the following week and now with a clearer head and happier conscious he felt he would get a decent amount done.

The shop didn't open on Sundays in order to give Inseong a day off, so Monday afternoon was Taeyang's next time in the shop. It was quiet enough after Valentine's, only the usual level of foot traffic browsing the blooms or collecting custom orders. None of them minded really, a slow day gave them ample opportunities to spruce up the shop and for Taeyang he got to read some more of his textbook in between. It was about an hour before closing that Inseong took a call from a customer asking if they could collect flowers before the end of the day. Inseong assured them it was no problem and took down the order in his tidy writing. It was as pretty as the flowers he cared for, and Taeyang only wished his own scrawl could be as legible.

 

"Do you want a hand hyung?"

"No thanks, it's just a bunch of lilacs. The customer said they would be in before closing."

 

Taeyang nodded and went back to his book. Lilacs were pretty and Taeyang loved how one flower could mean different things depending on the colour. No one materialised in the shop in the following hour, although he did spot a group of girls stopping to look at the beautiful arrangement in the front window. It was simple but colourful, which made it very eye-catching. Taeyang was just packing away his books and preparing to leave when the chimes rang to indicate the someone entering the store. He turned with his brightest smile on and was taken aback when he saw who was standing there. 

 

"Jaeyoon-ssi? What are you doing here?"

"I came by to pick up some flowers, what else."

 

He kept his smile on his face as he moved over to the register to face Jaeyoon properly. There was a little part of him that would have liked to think Jaeyoon was stopping by to see him, but that was just wishful thinking. Even if there was no flirting going on, Taeyang supposed it was a good thing to have a customer who was so satisfied with their flowers that he kept coming back.

 

"Did your friend like the alstroemerias?"

"Oh yes! And his boyfriend accepted the proposal as well. I made sure to pass them the business card you gave me."

"That's wonderful, I'm very happy for them both. So, what kind of flowers can I get for you today?"

"Actually I ordered them about an hour ago."

"The lilacs? Let me just go find Inseong-hyung, he was putting them together for you."

 

Jaeyoon smiled and thanked him, and began wandering around the shop admiring the flowers as he waited for Taeyang to return. Taeyang bumped into Inseong just inside the door to the back room, and he had a small bunch of lilacs in hand. They were, as the name suggested, lilac in colour, and tied with a little white bow. It was cute and simple, and Taeyang wondered who had earned Jaeyoon's heart in just two days for him to be getting lilacs. The two employees walked back out front together and Jaeyoon was peering into one of the displays that held the various potted cacti they sold.

 

"You must be here for the lilacs correct?"

"Yes indeed, thank you. I was just saying to Taeyang-ssi that my friends loved the proposal bouquet you put together for them."

"Ah, that's always great to hear! Please wish them many congratulations on our behalf."

 

Taeyang watched from the side as Inseong and Jaeyoon exchanged pleasantries while they went through the transaction. Their personalities seemed like they really clicked and Taeyang was sure if they were to become friends it would be a very loud and colourful one. Once they were finished, Inseong signed off the till and took everything into the back room to count for the end of the day, leaving Taeyang on his own to man the shop. Jaeyoon had his flowers in hand, but he was yet to leave.

 

"They're very beautiful flowers, do you know what they mean?"

"I did a little bit of searching online before I ordered them. I really had no idea there was so much complexity to flower meanings."

"Absolutely, anything you want to say can be said with flowers. It's also really interesting how some flowers can be used to say different things depending on the context of the other flowers they're with!"

 

The customer broke into a beautiful smile and Taeyang suddenly felt shy. His love for the language of flowers was something he could happily talk about all day if given the chance, and it was the reason he loved creating bouquets and displays so much. What might just seem like a random assortment of pretty blossoms to one person could mean something very special when you understood what they were trying to say. He apologised to Jaeyoon only to see him watching with a soft look on his face.

 

"Umm, can I do anything else for you today Jaeyoon-ssi?"

"Yes actually, would you mind coming out from behind the counter?"

 

It was an odd request but Taeyang supposed it wouldn't be any harm. They were technically closed for the day anyway and he really didn't need an excuse to stand closer to Jaeyoon. He wiped his hands on his green apron to get rid of any dirt and sweat from the day's work. Not that Jaeyoon had any reason to be looking at his hands, but Taeyang was nervous around such a handsome man. Standing this close without the till in the way was very different, and he noticed that the other was very slightly taller than him. It wasn't much, a pair of shoes with thick soles could easily negate the difference, but being taller than 95% of people he met made this a very nice feeling.

 

"Well, here I am."

 

He knew he sounded awkward but it was hard keeping his cool when his brain was overwhelmed with Jaeyoon's beauty. He kicked himself internally for only being able to see that aspect of him but considering they hadn't exactly spoken much there wasn't much else Taeyang knew about him. But then the taller man smiled and any other thoughts flew out of his head. Taeyang was so dazzled by it that he barely registered Jaeyoon taking a step closer so they were barely an inch apart.

 

"I have a confession to make."

"You don't actually have a friend getting engaged and you just wanted to buy pretty flowers?"

"What? No, Youngbin-hyung is very much a real person who is now engaged to his boyfriend Rowoon who is also very real."

"Oh, well then what is your confession?"

"Truthfully, Youngbin-hyung was going to order the flowers himself but just needed the number for a flower shop, so I volunteered to go around to a few and get their contact details. But the first time I came here I was so overwhelmed by you that I completely forgot to get a phone number."

"Wait - me?"

"Yeah. You were making up a really colourful basket for a group of school kids and you just looked so beautiful as you worked that I totally blanked on why I had come in here."

 

Taeyang couldn't believe what he was hearing. Surely there was no way someone as beautiful as Jaeyoon had been interested in his looks? He wanted to say something in protest, convinced that Chani or Hwiyoung had put him up to this as a bet, but the taller male kept speaking.

 

"I apologise if it seems creepy, but I came back to the store every day to see you working. You just look so handsome when you're working with the flowers, it's obvious you really love this job. Truthfully, I would have continued to come back every day and not buy anything but Youngbin-hyung really needed a bouquet, so that's why I came up to speak with you. Then after I heard your voice and saw how passionate you were about the meaning behind all the different flowers I couldn't get you out of my head. So I called ahead to arrange an order of flowers, assuming that you would be working on Valentine's day, and you looked even more beautiful than the day before. And then I spent all weekend researching flowers so I could find just the right ones to say how I'm feeling and I just really hope they're good enough."

 

The taller was slightly out of breath by the end of his rant and Taeyang certainly wasn't imagining the pink dusting his cheeks. Before he could open his mouth to say anything, Jaeyoon held out the small bouquet of lilacs towards him. His heart thudded loudly in his chest; there must have been some misunderstanding. Sometimes the internet wasn't the most reliable source of information about flowers, or maybe he simply confused the colours.

 

"You must have meant to order blue lilacs, or perhaps violet ones. Did you know the meaning of a flower actually depends on the colours? Roses are a great example because while red roses mean love pink roses can mean more gentle things like admiration, and yellow roses are a symbol of friendship! It's fascinating really. Sometimes people can get the colours confused."

"Taeyang-ssi, I know what these mean. They stand for first love, right? Originally I thought of asking for primroses but I thought that might be a little much."

 

Primroses, the beautiful yellow blooms that mean 'I can't live without you'. If that wasn't a declaration and a half then Taeyang wasn't sure what was. He was frozen to the spot, unable to tear his eyes away from the lilacs extended towards his chest. How could someone who was obviously older and working in a well-paid job possibly be interested in a broke college student like him? The only explanation was that he had fallen asleep at the till and any moment now Inseong would wake him up and tell him his shift was over. He heard Jaeyoon chuckle and looked up to see him smiling softly with a tender expression in his eyes. 

 

"Am I rambling out loud?"

"You are. I highly doubt I am that much older than you though - and how I feel doesn't depend on you being a broke student."

"I'm turning twenty-two at the end of the month."

"Well then there's only about two and a half years between us, I'm only twenty-four myself. I know this was very sudden and really I do apologise for springing this on you while you're at work, but I couldn't wait any longer to let you know how I felt."

 

Once again, Jaeyoon reached forward with the small bouquet of flowers, silently asking Taeyang to accept them. The younger hesitated for just a moment more before deciding there was no reason not to. He most certainly had a crush on Jaeyoon, even if it currently was only based on aesthetic attraction. The blinding smile he received in return made him even more sure this was the right decision. After all, a relationship needed to start as a small bud before it could blossom into something even more beautiful.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> you ever feel like you can't remember if you've written an au like this before or have you just read so many others that they all blend in your mind? yeah, me with flower shop aus honestly. 
> 
> i'm really not satisfied with how this ended but i'm trying to get something out to get over this writer's block so...i hope you like it!


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